Dimensão fractal em achados histológicos de fígado de ratos wistar intoxicados experimentalmente com veneno de Crotalus Durissus Terrificus

Abstract

Accidents caused by venom of Crotalus snakes, popularly known in Brazil as rattlesnake, cause the highest number of deaths in humans and animals, mainly due to the great neurotoxic, myotoxic, coagulant, nephrotoxic and hepatotoxic potential of their venom. The present study had the objective of analyzing by histology and fractal dimension liver samples of Wistar rats experimentally poisoned with venom of the snake Crotalus durissus terrificus. The hypothesis is that the venom of Crotalus durissus terrificus is capable of inducing hepatic damage at the dose recommended in this study, that its alterations can be quantified by the fractal dimension and that the antiofidic serum be able to minimize the hepatic lesions induced by the venom. Ninety rats were divided into different groups and treated with: control group (GC, n = 30) 0.9% sodium chloride solution; venom group (GV, n = 30) crotalic venom; (GVS, n = 30) Crotalic venom and antiofidic serum 6 hours after the application of the venom. Liver samples were collected at 2h (M1), 8h (M2) and 24h (M3) after venom administration and submitted to histological analysis and fractal dimension (DF) using the ImageJ® software and box-counting method. Procedures for collecting, processing and analyzing samples were standardized. No significant lesions were observed in GC and GV. Necrosis, cytoplasmic and nuclear vacuolization and absence of inflammatory infiltrate were observed in M2 and M3, whereas in GVS, mononuclear inflammatory infiltrate was evident at all times, in addition to the lesions found in GV. The lesions of necrosis, cytoplasmic and nuclear vacuolization, considered of greater severity were visualized in M3 in both GV and GVS. There was an increase in DF for the same changes in GV and GVS over time, but with no difference between them, but with a significant difference compared to CG. The lesions evidenced in the liver were not minimized by the application of the antiofidic serum. This study agrees with other authors about the hepatotoxicity of crotalic venom in relation to histological findings and the results indicate an increase in FD for the findings of vacuolization and necrosis, proving to be an efficient method for the quantitative evaluation of morphological changes induced by venom without observer interference. In addition, non-protection of the liver by antiofidic serum was evident. It is concluded that Crotalus durissus terrificus venom has hepatotoxic effects; FD is effective in the quantitative morphological evaluation of the liver for vacuolization and necrosis, and antiofidic serum did not protect the liver from venom-induced lesions.